This application is based on Japanese Patent Application 2001-308454, filed on Oct. 4, 2001, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
A) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a robot that performs a movement pattern such as a dance along music, a movement pattern control program of the robot to perform the movement pattern, a music information file for the robot to perform the movement pattern such as the dance, a server device for providing this music information file, a communication terminal device to receive this music information file and a music information reproducing device to make the robot listen to this music information file.
B) Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a device for making a robot listen to music and perform a movement such as a dance along the music is suggested. According to that, a dance movement signal embedded into a music signal constituting a synthesized sound in a state that a human being cannot recognize that the dance movement signal is radiated to the robot. The robot extracts the dance movement signal from the synthesized sound and performs a movement by move joints such as arms and legs etc. according to the dance movement signal.
As a dance movement signal, for example, a control signal using a data hiding technique is used. That is, xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d of the control signal is represented by removing a specific frequency signal in the sound signal, and xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d is represented by removing another specific frequency signal.
However, when a synthesized sound in which the dance movement signal is embedded is generated, a special technique xe2x80x9ca data hiding techniquexe2x80x9d is necessary. Therefore, it is difficult to make a robot dance along music with an easy and cheap technique.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a robot that performs a movement pattern along music by inputting the music as an audible sound signal and a movement pattern control program of the robot in a cheap price.
Also, it is another object of the present invention to provide a music information file that can synchronize a movement pattern to be performed by a robot and music in a cheap price and being compatible with a conventional music information file.
Furthermore, it is further object of the present invention to provide a server apparatus for network providing of the music information file, a communication terminal device and a music information reproducing device to make a robot input the music information file as an audible sound signal.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a robot, comprising: a storage device that stores a movement pattern data to be specified by first music information; an input device that inputs, as an audible sound signal, a music information file comprising second music information for reproducing music and the first music information; a recognizing device that recognizes the first music information based on the input audible sound signal; and a movement performing device that performs a movement pattern in accordance with the movement pattern data specified by the first music information read from the storage device when the recognizing device recognizes the first music information.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program, which a computer executes to realize a movement pattern control process for a robot, comprising the steps of: (a) inputting, as an audible sound signal, a music information file comprising first music information for specifying a movement pattern data or information directing the movement pattern data and a second music information for reproducing music; (b) analyzing the input audible sound signal to output a result of the analysis; (c) recognizing the first music information in accordance with the result of the analysis; (d) reading movement pattern data or information directing the movement pattern data in accordance with the recognized first music information from a storage device when the recognizing step (c) recognizes the first music information; and (e) outputting the read movement pattern data or information directing the movement pattern data to a movement performing device of the robot.
According to further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program, which a computer executes to realize a movement pattern control process for a robot, comprising the steps of: (a) inputting a result of the analysis of, as an audible sound signal, a music information file comprising first music information for specifying a movement pattern data or information directing the movement pattern data and a second music information for reproducing music; (b) recognizing the first music information in accordance with the result of the analysis; (c) reading movement pattern data or information directing the movement pattern data in accordance with the recognized first music information from a storage device when the recognizing step (b) recognizes the first music information; and (d) outputting the read movement pattern data or information directing the movement pattern data to a movement performing device of the robot.
According to yet further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a music information file, comprising: first music information that a robot can recognize by analyzing as an audible sound signal and that specifies a movement pattern data for making the robot perform a movement pattern; and second music information for reproducing music.
According to yet further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a server apparatus, comprising: an accessing device that accesses a database storing a music information file comprising first music information that a robot can recognize by analyzing as an audible sound signal and that specifies a movement pattern data for making the robot perform a movement pattern and second music information for reproducing music; a reading device that reads the music information file from the database via the accessing device in accordance with a request from a user; and a transmitting device that transmits the read music information file via a communication network to the user or a communication terminal apparatus designated by the user.
According to yet further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication terminal apparatus, comprising: a requesting device that requests, to a server apparatus via a communication network, a music information file comprising first music information that a robot can recognize by analyzing as an audible sound signal and that specifies a movement pattern data for making the robot perform a movement pattern and second music information for reproducing music; a receiving device that receives the requested music information file from the server apparatus via the communication network; and a storage device that stores the received music information file.
According to yet further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a music information reproducing apparatus, comprising: a storage device that stores a music information file comprising first music information that a robot can recognize by analyzing as an audible sound signal and that specifies a movement pattern data for making the robot perform a movement pattern and second music information for reproducing music; and a reproducing device that audibly reproduces the first and the second music information included in the music information file stored in the storage device.
According to the present invention, a robot that moves along music by general music information and a movement pattern control program of robot can be provided in cheap price without a special technique such as a data hiding technique. Also, according to the present invention, music information file for making the robot perform the movement pattern can maintain compatibility with a conventional music information file and can be provided in a cheap price.